Governor for internal combustion engines



Nov. 11, 1958 E. 1.. SANDLIN ET AL 2,859,740

GOVERNOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 20, 1956' 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 E LMOPE L. SANDL/N, and

MAup/cs 'M- SMITH,

INVENTORS.

3 BY gy ATTORNEYS Nov. 11, 1958 E. L. SANDLIN ET AL 2,859,740

GOVERNOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 20, 1956 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E 6 ELMOE' L. .SlqA/aL/M and MAwa/ce M- 534411,

INVENTORS.

ATTORNEY 5 United rates Patent GOVERNUR FOR INTERNAL CUMBUSTHON ENGENES Elmore L.- Sandlin, Eeulaville, and Maurice M. Smith, Wilmington, N. C.

Application March 20, 1956, Serial No. 572,664

16 Claims. (Cl. 123-108) This invention relates to governors for internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to an improved governor whereinthe same controls the R. P. M. of the internal combustion engine when the engine is initially started and being warmed and after the engine is fully warmed.

Heretofore, butterfly-valve types of governors have been controlled by vacuum pressure from the manifold. Such-governors have been so arranged that, upon the engine reaching a certain number of R. P. M. to enable a maximum speed of, say, 40 miles per hour, the butterfiy-valve would automatically snap to a completely closed position to thereby prevent the flow of air by the carburetor into the engine. This would cause the engine to stop until the speed of the vehicle was reduced. This type of governor has not proven commercially successful because it is dangerous, particularly if the operator of the vehicle is attempting to pass another vehicle and the governor stops the operation of the engine. Also, under other conditions; such as a vehicle becoming stuck in soft earth or mud requiring the motor of the vehicle to operate at its maximum R. P. M., the governor would cause the engine to be cut off to prevent the full utilization of power inherent therein and thus prevent the vehicle from being removed from the soft earth.

it is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a governor for internal combustion engines which is so constructed and so related to the carburetor that itwill permit the passage of air through the carburetor into the engine at all times and thus permit the engine to operate under all conditions.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved butterfly-valve type governor to considerably limit the R. P. M. of the engine during the warming-up period, thus resulting in the life of the engine being prolonged. It is common knowledge that the greatest wear on an engine is during the warming-up period wherein the lubricants have not reached their desired viscosity to properly lubricate all of the parts of the engine.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide .in association with an internal combustion engine an improved butterfly-valve type of governor wherein the 'butterfly-valveis in a partially closed starting position to permit only a limited amount of air to be pulled through the carburetor during the engine warming-up period and thus prevent the engine from operating at a high speed. Limiting the amount of air to be mixed with the fuel will tend to maintain too rich of a mixture which insures that the engine will not be operated at high speeds before it is sufiiciently warmed. A coiled bimetallic spring or thermostat is associated with the butterflyvalvewhich upon being heated by the exhaust gases will; permit the butterfly-valve to be moved to its open position. Means are associated with the bimetallic thermostat to control the maximum closed and opened position to which the butterfly-valve may be moved to thus regulate the R. P. M. of the engine for starting and voperating conditions.

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Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved governor device shown in association with a carburetor andmanifold with parts broken away for purposes of clarity;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 2-2 in Figure 1, with parts broken away for purposes of clarity;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view takenfalong line 55 in Figure 4 and clearly showing the manner that the coiled thermostat is positioned in the cover;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 6-6 in Figure 4 and looking in an opposite direction from Figure 5 and showing the means for controlling the movement of the thermostat.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and particularly Figures 1 and 4,.reference numeral 1% broadly indicates a conventional down draft type of carburetor having an air inlet passageway 11 with a pivotally mounted unbalanced choke valve 12 positioned therein. This type of carburetor is shown and clearly described in Patent No. 2,125,899. A float bowl 13 is formed integral with the carburetor and is positioned on one side thereof and has a float 14 therein to maintain the fuel at a substantial constant level by cooperating with a needle valve 15 which controls the passage of fuel through a calibrated metering orifice 16 which receives the fuel from a remote fuel tank, not shown.

Fuel is supplied to the carburetor from the bowl 13 through a calibrated metering orifice 17 and a feed nozzle 18 extending upwardly therefrom into the throat of the carburetor with its upper end on a higher elevation than the level of the fuel in the bowl 13. The feed nozzle 18 is supported by a block 19' positioned in the upper medial portion of a fuel mixing passageway 20a defined by a body portion 20 to permit the fuel to flow by suction from the upper end of the feed nozzle 18 down around both sides of the block 19. Heat-insulating material 21 separates the upperand lower portions of the fuel mixing passageway 20a from the heat of the exhaust manifold.

A throttling butterfly-valve 22 is pivotally mounted to a shaft 23 which valve is controlled by the accelerator pedal of the vehicle for controlling the amount of air entering the carburetor to be mixed with the fuel and thus controlling the speed of the vehicle.

It is apparent that the rushing of air downwardly past the upper end of the feed nozzle 18 creates apartial vacuum thus sucking the fuel out of the end of the nozzle and carrying the same downwardly while mixing it with the air.

An improved governor broadly indicated at 24 has its upper portion secured by bolts 8 to the lower portion of the carburetor lit and its lower portion secured to a riser portion 25 of an intake manifold 26 (Figure 3). An exhaust manifold 27 is suitably secured to the intake manifold 26 and is provided with a hot spot portion 29 which encircles the intake manifold 26 for heating the intake gas mixture to obtain more rapid and better combustion of the same. The intake manifold 26 is provided with a sump or depression 28 directly beneath the riser portion 25 which sump serves to collect and entrap an accumulation of liquid gasoline, particularly during the starting of the engine when the choke valve 12 is closed to apply a high suction to the feed nozzle 18.

The governor. 24 comprises a housing or body portion the engine.

.a speed control valve in the form of a butterfly-valve 32 -fixedly mounted on a transversely disposed pivot pin 33 on the outer end of which is fixedly secured a control lever 34 (Figures 4 and 6). The control lever 3-4 has one end of a stud 35 secured to its outer end and extending from one side thereof with the other end secured to the outer end of a bimetallic heat responsive coiled spring or thermostat 36. The inner end of the spring 36 is fixedly secured to a bifurcated spring holder 37 positioned in the medial portion of a cover 42 which is fixedly secured to a housing or annular member 41 by a plurality of screws or bolts 40.

The thermostat 36, when cold, tends to unwind in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure so as to urge the stud 35 and control lever 34 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 6 which moves the butterflyvalve 32' to its maximum closed position for starting of The valve 32 is prevented from moving to fully closed position by a stop screw or pin 46 positioned in one aperture of the right-hand row of apertures 44 in the housing 41 as shown in Figure 6. A similar row of apertures 43 are provided in the housing 41 on the oppo site side of the actuating lever 34 as viewed in Figure 6 'With a screw or pin 45 for controlling the open position of the valve 32 to thus control the maximum speed of the vehicle.

It will be observed in Figure 6 that the screw or pin 45 .will stop the control lever 34 from moving in a counterclockwise direction past the same since the proximal side edge of the control lever will engage the pin and thus prevent any further coiling or winding of the thermostat 36 by the heat from the exhaust manifold of the engine. Thus, any further opening of the valve 32 is prevented.

To insure that the thermostat 36 will coil or wind on itself to move the valve 32 to open position after the engine is sufficiently warmed, an aperture is provided in one side of the housing 41 in which is connected one end of a tube 43 having its other end connected to the exhaust manifold 29 as shown most clearly in Figure 1. The exhaust gases will gradually heat the coiled thermostat and cause the same to move clockwise as viewed in Figure 5 to move the control lever counterclockwise as viewed in Figure 6.

To aid in preheating the mixture of fuel so as to obtain better combustion of the same, a tube 30 is provided with one end communicatively connected to the hot spot 29 of the exhaust manifold 27 with the other end of the tube being closed and being transversely disposed in the governor passageway 31a defined by the body 31. As will be observed in Figures 2 and 4, the tube 30 is positioned on a low enough level so as not to interfere with the butterfly-valve 32 but yet permits the heat of the exhaust gases to be dissipated by radiation to the fuel mixture passing thereover in its path of travel to the intake manifold 26.

Prior to placing the governor 24 into operation, the cover 42 is removed after first removing the screws 40 to permit the operator of the vehicle to position the pins 45, 46- in the respective apertures 43 and 44 to set the governor for controlling the position of the butterflyvalve 32 in respect to its maximum closed and opened positions. It is apparent that the repositioning of the pin 46 into an aperture 44 below the one in which it is shown positioned in Figure 6 will permit the valve 32 to be moved to a more fully closed position by the thermostat. However, even if the pin 46 is positioned in the last or lowest aperture 44 as viewed in Figure 6, the valve 32 is never fully closed so as to prevent the starting of the vehicle.

The apertures 43 are spaced apart from each other a suflicient distance so as to permit a predetermined in- .crease or decrease in speed of the vehicle of about five 4 miles per hour. Thus, if desired, the speed of the vehicle can be increased a predetermined amount by merely moving the pin 45 to an adjacent aperture to the left as viewed in Figure 6 which permits a greater opening of the valve 32.

Accordingly, there has been provided an improved governor which controls the speed of the engine during the warming-up period to prevent the operator from running the engine at an excessively high speed wit-h the same means being operable upon the engine being warmed to control the maximum speed of the vehicle.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. An improved governor for an internal combustion engine having a carburetor, an intake manifold and exhaust manifold; said improved governor being positioned between the carburetor and the intake manifold and comprising a body having a passageway communicating with the carburetor and the intake manifold, a butterfly-valve positioned in said passageway, 21 heat responsive spring operatively connected to said butterfly-valve for moving the same to open and closed position, means for conveying heat from the exhaust manifold to the area surrounding said spring, and adjustment means for controlling the retracted and expanded positions of said spring whereby the closed and opened positions of said butterflyvalve may be adjustably predetermined.

2. An improved governor for an internal combustion engine having a carburetor and an intake manifold; said governor comprising a body portion defining a passageway communicating with the carburetor and the intake manifold, a butterfly-valve positioned in the passageway of said body portion, a heat responsive thermostat operatively connected to said butterfly-valve to control its open and closed positions, and adjustment means for controlling the movement of the thermostat whereby the opened and closed positions of said butterfly-valve may be adjustably predetermined to control the speed of the engine during the warming-up period and the maximum speed of the vehicle after the engine is warmed.

3. An improved governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold; said improved governor being positioned between said carburetor and intake manifold and comprising a body portion having a passageway communicating with the carburetor and the intake manifold, a pivotally mounted valve positioned in said passageway, a heat responsive coiled spring operatively connected to said valve for controlling its movement, means for conveying heat from the exhaust manifold to the area surrounding said spring, and adjustment means for controlling the movement of the spring within prescribed limits whereby the closed and opened positions of said valve may be predetermined.

4. An improved governor for an internal combustion engine having a carburetor, an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold; said improved governor comprising a body portion defining a passageway communicatively connected to the passageway in the carburetor and to the intake manifold, a butterfly-valve positioned in the passageway of said body portion, a heat responsive thermostat operatively connected to said butterfly-valve to control its open and closed positions in response to varying changes of temperature of the engine, and means for maintaining the movement of the thermostat within prescribed limits whereby the opened and closed positions of said butterfly-valve may be predetermined to control the speed of the engine during the warming-up period and the maximum speed of the vehicle after the engine is warmed.

5. An improved governor for an internal combustion engine having a carburetor, an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold; said governor being positioned between said carburetor and said intake manifold and comprising a body having a passageway communicating with the carburetor and the intake manifold, a pivotally mounted butterfly-valve transversely disposed in the passageway of said body, a heat responsive bimetallic coiled spring operatively connected to said butterfly-valve to normally maintain the valve in a substantially closed position during the warming up of the engine and to move the butterfly-valve to substantially open position when the engine is fully warmed, and adjustment means for controlling the movement of the spring within prescribed limits for predetermining the minimum closed and maximum opened positions of said butterfly-valve.

6. A governor according to claim 5 wherein means are provided to enclose said spring, and means'are connected to the engine and said spring enclosing means to convey the heat of the engine to said spring.

7. An improved governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, and a carburetor; said governor comprising a body having a passageway communicating with the carburetor and the intake manifold, a valve positioned in said passgeway, a coiled spring operatively connected to said valve and responsive to ambient temperature to move the valve to closed or open position, and adjustment means for controlling the movement of the spring within prescribed limits whereby the closed and opened positions of said valve may be predetermined.

8. A governor according to claim 7 wherein means are provided on the side of said body for enclosing said spring, and means are provided for conveying heat from the exhaust manifold inside said means enclosing said spring.

9. A governor according to claim 7 wherein said valve is secured to a pivot pin transversely disposed in said body and having one end extending outwardly through the body, and an actuating lever secured to said one end and said spring being secured to said actuating lever.

10. A governor according to claim 9 wherein said adjustment means for controlling the movement of the spring comprises a pair of pins positioned on opposite sides of said actuating lever and in the path of travel of said actuating lever.

11. An improved governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, and a carburetor; said governor comprising a body having a passageway communicating with the carburetor and the intake manifold, a valve positioned in said passageway, a housing on the side of said body, a coiled spring mounted in said housing and operatively connected to said valve and responsive to ambient temperature to move the valve to open and closed position, said housing having a plurality of spaced apertures, and a pair of pins positioned in two of said apertures to control the movement of the spring in either direction within prescribed limits whereby the closed and opened positions of said valve may be selectively predetermined.

12. A governor according to claim 11 wherein means is connected to said housing and the exhaust manifold to permit the heat from the manifold to flow into said housing in the area surrounding said spring, and means is provided to permit the exhaust manifold temperature to preheat the fuel mixture while it is passing through said body to the intake manifold.

13. An improved governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold and a carburetor; said governor comprising a body having a passageway communicating with the carburetor and the intake manifold, a valve positioned in said passageway, a pivotally mounted pin supporting said valve and having one end extending outside said body, a transversely disposed actuating lever having one end secured to said end of the pin, a transversely disposed pin extending outwardly from the other end of the actuating lever, an annular housing surrounding said actuating lever, a cover provided for said housing, a heat responsive coiled spring having its inner end secured to the medial portion of said housing, the outer end of the spring connected to said pin extending outwardly from said actuating lever to move the valve to open and closed position in response to changes in temperature, said housing having a plurality of apertures positioned in a plane transverse to the plane in which the actuating lever moves, and a pair of actuating lever stop pins positioned in said apertures on opposite sides of said actuating lever and in the path of travel of said actuating lever to control the movement of the spring in either direction within prescribed limits whereby the closed and opened positions of said valve may be predetermined.

14. A governor according to claim 13 wherein means are provided for permitting the heat of the engine to be transmitted to said spring.

15 A governor according to claim 13 wherein means are provided insaid body for preheating the fuel in its path of travel therethrough.

16. An improved governor for an internal combustion engine having a carburetor, an intake manifold and exhaust manifold; said improved governor being positioned between the carburetor and the intake manifold and comprising a body having a passageway communicating with the carburetor and the intake manifold, a valve positioned in the passageway, a heat responsive spring operatively connected to said valve, said spring being retractable to move the valve to open position and expansible to move the valve to closed position, adjustable means positioned adjacent to said spring and providing a pair of stops to limit the extent of the retracted and expanded positions of said spring whereby the closed and opened positions of said valve may be adjustably predetermined.

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